La Luna
by IheartOakenshield193712
Summary: AU supernatural, set in Victorian Age England: A great beast is coming into the city and despite rumors, Bilbo doesn't believe in such things. Along with Fili and Kili, Bilbo comes to understand that the beast is real. . .
1. Chapter 1

**Hi again! Um, this story is based off the song "Music of the Night" from the Phantom of the Opera. I got my inspiration from the song and The Wolfman (2010) and of course, The Hobbit. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks!**

* * *

The night grew crisp; the soft wind fluttered through the trees and the faint mist of ending rain coated the air. The feeling of youth and adventure filled the surrounding atmosphere. The darkness of the forest stirred silently, ever so lightly waking the imagination of the restless gentleman prowling deep within the woods. He stepped and crunched helpless twigs and sticks on the forest floor until he reached the dense thicket of the forest. Swiftly glancing about the empty trees, he inclined his head at the complete loneliness that surrounded him. Above him, smoky clouds shuddered away to reveal the luminous full moon, shining brightly against the stark contrast of the dead forest. The restless gentleman's senses filtered out of him, abandoning their defenses in the dark.

Slowly in the safety of the dark thicket, night unfurls its splendor and captures the man. With his sapphire blue eyes, he gazes up at the blazing white moon, a familiar expression coating his jagged features. His senses sharpen to a point as his body convulses and collapses onto the soft earth with powerful shakes. He paws hopelessly at the rough forest floor as his arms crack and stretch until his fingers sprout long, rough claws. The man cries out in agony at the transformation; his jaw shifts to support the snout of a wolf as his legs grow to form powerful haunches that hold his weight as he shakily stands. Breathing heavily, he winces as his canine teeth come in and his black and silvery hair move to cover his entire body. His sapphire eyes deepen to a dark, murky blue as dangerous as any dragon. Slowly losing his ability to think properly, the creature that was once a man looks up at the taunting moon and releases an almighty howl.

* * *

Back in the Victorian city several miles away from the thick forest, a young man, with auburn curls, walking through the empty streets directed his head towards the faint howl in the distance. He frowned at the abrupt sound in the quiet city; wolves didn't howl at the moon at this time of night. Shaking his head and thinking nothing of it, the young man ducked into a nearby pub to find its occupants frozen in fear. The man pulled a chair up to a table with two other men whispering and shuddering to each other.

"What's up with everyone tonight?" the young man asked, cutting into whatever conversation the two men were discussing.

"Did you not hear the hungry howl of the beast?" one of the men asked, the fearful look in his eye never faulting.

"Beast?" the young man asked.

"The werewolf," the man with blond hair whispered. "No one's ever seen the beast, but that was it's famed cry."

The brunette man shuddered. "It'll come. To murder us all."

The young man chuckled. "Surely you do not believe such creatures exist. A werewolf? Come on, Kili." He took a sip of the drink that a shaky waitress had placed moments before. "I think it was a stray wolf. Who knows what lives in that dreadful forest at the end of the city."

"You do not know that a werewolf can live there too," the blond replied, nursing an ale.

"Fili, when has there ever been a werewolf in the city?" the young man asked.

"Bilbo, that does not mean it is not possible."

Bilbo rolled his eyes, not believing that a werewolf was lurking the forest. He continued to sip his drink until an old man, drenched in rainwater, stumbled into the pub. Bilbo, Fili, Kili, and everyone in the pub stood as the man entered.

"What happened?" a man with a long white beard demanded.

"The beast has come," the elder answered, shaking with fear. "It has come down from the forest, bloodthirsty and yearning for death." A man with a floppy hat offered the other a drink which the old man took gratefully. Everyone watched him as he set down the glass with a forceful wrist. "I saw it."

Gasps filled the room and everyone sat stock-still. Bilbo glanced at Fili and Kili who both had the same fear in their eyes. Bilbo snorted. "There is no beast. You merely saw a drunk in the streets."

The old man gave him a scrutinizing glare. "I walked through the streets by Dori's Tavern, and I saw the beast run down from the forest." He inhaled a frightened breath as he remembered its grace and swiftness. "It'll be here."

"I do not believe you," Bilbo argued, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

"No! Bilbo!" Fili shouted. "You'll be killed!"

"Killed by what?" Bilbo said hotly. "There is no beast. It is nothing more than a stray wolf." Bilbo marched for the door and flung it open; he was greeted with a rush of the night's cold air. With one final, scathing look, Bilbo disappeared into the night.

* * *

He walked angrily for a few blocks until he realized that no one was in the streets, not even the occasional drunks that staggered around. Bilbo suddenly felt very alone and very scared. Shaking his head, he pressed on while muttering to himself that there was no beast, no werewolf out there. He didn't notice at first, but his pace had quickened; he was nearly running through the streets. The convincing truth that Bilbo did not want to believe was gnawing at him painfully. A beast was out there and would soon find him if what the old man had said was true. He was halfway down a block when he heard pounding footsteps on the pavement behind him; he froze and cautiously turned around.

"By Aule, Bilbo!" Kili exclaimed. "What were you thinking by running?"

"I was frightened," Bilbo muttered before giving the brothers a small smile.

A howl filled the empty streets, echoing off the unoccupied buildings and striking Bilbo, Fili, and Kili in the face.

Fili desperately looked around for a hiding spot. His eyes searched frantically as he heard pounding paws on the street ahead. He saw an abandoned piano shop across the street. "Quickly!" he whispered to the two men. "This way!" He, Kili, and Bilbo dashed across the street, pried the abandoned shop's door open, and slid inside in time to see the beast barrel past the shop.

"Whew!" Kili sighed, taking a deep breath and leaning heavily on the closed door.

"Oh, that was the beast?" Bilbo asked, cautiously walking around the empty, moonlit room. He noticed that several broken chairs scattered the floor, portraits hung to their sides on the wall, and a lone piano sat in the middle of the room. "Where are we?"

"Old Beorn's Piano Shop," Fili answered, peeking out the small window to see where the beast went to. "It has been abandoned for decades now."

"What happened to it?" Bilbo asked. "It looks like something horrible got to it."

Fili locked the door before facing Kili and Bilbo. "Yes," he said solemnly. "This is where the beast first struck. I heard that Old Beorn held a conference to discuss his weekly hunting party out in the forest." He glanced at the splintered chairs around the room and the old, stale blood splatters on the floors and walls before continuing. "It is rumored that a man attending the meeting fell gravely ill that night." Fili gulped as he saw the portraits still hanging up, vicious claw marks slashed its middle. "He... he _changed_... into a monstrous beast and attacked his closest friends. He killed them all."

"What happened to him; the beast?" Bilbo asked.

"I don't know," Fili answered truthfully. "I do not know."

"Didn't Balin say that he died?" Kili suggested.

Fili shook his head. "He never died. He is _still_ roaming the forest, today." He looked at Bilbo who was approaching the old piano. "Bilbo, do not touch it. This is an-"

"Abandoned area," Bilbo answered. "I see no harm in playing a little tune."

"You saw no _harm_ in not believing that a monster existed," Fili said harshly but Bilbo had already seated himself upon the bench and began playing music. "Bilbo, stop-"

Music filled the room, slowly and gradually, as Bilbo continued pressing the piano keys. Soon, the entire building was filled with the sweet melody of the beautiful song Bilbo was playing.

* * *

"Stay back!" The man with a white beard shouted at the approaching beast. "I'll shoot!" He raised his rifle and lined it up with the werewolf's skull.

The beast cocked its head to the side and glared at the old man. He lunged for him but stopped short when the sound of familiar music traveled into the pub. With a sharp growl, the werewolf swiftly turned its powerful body to the direction of the abandoned piano shop. He bolted for it, ignoring the mad gunshots of the brave townsmen with their rifles in hand. He dove past men throwing sharp rocks and flew over women protecting their young until he reached the shop. An angry snarl escaped him as he burst through the door, his hands pulsing with need to crush whoever made that sweet sound.

Fili and Kili jumped and screamed in fear as they saw the bloody beast before them. They ran to Bilbo who seemed to not see the werewolf.

With a smooth stride, the werewolf was glaring menacingly at Bilbo who had his eyes closed and was moving side to side softly, obviously buried in the song he played. Fili and Kili gazed at the monster who seemed to be tamed by Bilbo's music though it still held a look of immense hunger in its eyes.

The beast, meanwhile, glanced up at the moon through the window and whimpered; the thick clouds were returning and soon, the luminous moon would be gone. He looked down at himself and was relieved to see that he still had strands of clothing on. His human brain slowly began to take over his beastly body as that auburn man continued to release such sweet, heavenly music to his cursed, hellish form. With an agonizing cry, the beast fell to his knees and clenched in pain as the wolf began to leave him. The bloodied claws were replaced by bloodied hands as was his long, lanky arms. His wolf-like legs disappeared, leaving his own muscular legs behind. His face contorted and popped as the snout and jagged features vanished instantly. His long, wavy. black, and silvery hair returned; oh, what a familiar feeling it was. The immense tightness that his shoulders held every time he changed into that beast was gone. Slowly, the man stood.

Kili and Fili gasped and threw themselves against the wall, afraid to move as they saw a man instead of a bloodthirsty beast before them. "Bilbo," Fili croaked, kicking Bilbo's back lightly. "Bilbo, stop playing the_ blasted_ piano."

"Do not," the man's rough, fresh voice almost pleaded.

Bilbo's eyes shot open. He glanced at Fili and Kili who had great fear in their eyes. Then, he slowly turned his head to face the source of that rough voice; he bit back a yelp. He stared into the sapphire eyes of a fair faced man who had long scratches lining his face and torn, bloodied clothes covering his body. Bilbo couldn't find his voice, and luckily the stranger spoke first.

"I am sorry I frightened you," he said sadly. "I was only returning to see who ventured into my lair."

"This is your... You live... here?" Kili sputtered. "But you are the... the..."

"Beast," the man finished. "I know. I escape every month to the forest, hoping that my counterpart does not return to the city for the blood of innocent townspeople."

"You do not _wish_ to kill?" Fili asked, bravely stepping forward.

The man shook his head. "I do not."

"Do you even know what you do when you... you change?" Bilbo asked, ceasing the music.

"No," the man answered. "I do not know."

Bilbo stood from the bench and eyed the man warily. "You seem so polite, though you are this monster. Why is that?"

"And can we trust you?" Kili cut in, stepping beside his brother.

The man inclined his head to them. "I did not ask for my illness to happen. I was a very respected man before. Then, one night I was bitten during Old Beorn's hunting party by this monstrous, gruesome_ thing_. It took a few tries but I killed it." He glanced around the broken room and sighed. "I thought it was a rabid wolf, but when Old Beorn had another meeting here, I knew it wasn't any old wolf." He looked at Bilbo with his luscious sapphire eyes. "The morning after I had been bitten, policemen found the body of a man in the forest near the abandoned church... where I had been attacked.

"Old Beorn knew nothing of that night... I did not tell him. I thought what happened to me was a curse that I did not wish to burden on anyone but myself. The night he held his meeting was the... the first night I changed." He cringed at the memory of the agonizing pain he went through that fateful night. "I could not control myself. I murdered those people before running over the town, killing as I did." He looked at Fili and Kili. "As a young lad, I always dreamt of becoming some ill-fated creature and now, I do believe a curse has been placed upon me."

"When Bilbo played on the piano," Fili began, "you seemed to... calm. Why?"

"I had not heard that melody in such a long time," the man replied. "It brought back memories of my childhood and my life before... this." He gestured to his bloodied and tattered clothing. "The Music of the Night," he murmured.

"What is your name?" Bilbo asked.

"Thorin," the man replied, giving Bilbo a reasonable low bow.

"Well... Thorin..." Bilbo began, slightly bowing in return. "I... do think we'll be off now." He turned to leave but Thorin caught his arm.

"Please," he said. "Stay. All of you."

"If only you promise not to kill us," Kili said, quickly covering his mouth. "Sorry."

Thorin smiled. "It is quite alright. I haven't had company for thirty years, let alone young ones." He inclined his head and said, "I promise that I will not hurt any of you, only if you promise _me_ that you will lock me in that room..." He nodded his head towards an iron chamber in the wall. "Whenever I change."

Bilbo smiled and nodded. "I... well, at least I promise."

"Thank you," Thorin said.

For the remainder of the night, Bilbo continued to play music for Thorin, Fili, and Kili. He and the brothers fell asleep around five in the morning, having felt confident to sleep now that Thorin was not going to change again. Bilbo honestly felt safe in the abandoned building with Thorin, though he _was_ the beast that terrorized the city. And in the morning, he would wake to find Thorin lying on the floor next to him, a strong arm wrapped protectively around his waist.


	2. Chapter 2

**This story will be a three-shot, so there is one more chapter after this. Do enjoy this one! :D**

* * *

Since the morning when Bilbo woke up to Thorin's arm wrapped protectively around his waist, something sparked between both men. Bilbo began to flush every time Thorin was near him, while the other did small and caring gestures towards him. Thorin's harsh features from that night he found Bilbo playing the piano had seemed to soften every time he spent hours with Bilbo; the man who captured his heart, which he, himself, was glad to know he still had one (a heart). His own scars, old scars from the time he first transformed, had lessened; non were as prominent as they had been before. Thorin hoped with all his might that his... curse... would break, because the last thing he wanted on this hellish earth was to hurt the one he loved.

Thorin had gone through two transformations while Bilbo, Fili, and Kili had been there. First, the agonizing pain had hit him. Then, the terrible cracking noises as he transformed. With all that was left of him, he pleaded to Bilbo to put him in the cell. Fili and Kili had done it for their friend... friends?, and shoved Thorin in the cell, quickly shutting the door and locking it. The brothers had done it just in time too, because when the door was locked, the werewolf, that was no longer Thorin, charged for the door but failed in knocking it down.

That night, Bilbo, Fili, and Kili had fled to their homes; Bilbo had to stay with Fili and Kili because he didn't want to be alone. The brothers had gratefully let him stay, and as they slept, all three could here distant howls echo through the quiet town.

The following morning, Thorin had woken up sore and tired from all the constant running and hitting the wall the werewolf did the night before. He cringed as he stood and went to the door of the cell. Luckily, he was smart enough to install a lock on the inside that allowed him to open it up that way. As he exited the cell, he glanced around the empty room and sighed. Bilbo had gone, and Thorin couldn't blame him. Thorin had begun to cry at the thought of Bilbo never loving him. As he cried, anger coursed through him and he resisted the urge to punch anything near him. He loved Bilbo so much, but he knew the other didn't; the other couldn't. As Thorin sulked and held in his anger, a knock came from the door.

Bilbo was there.

Thorin had opened the door, and Bilbo walked in. Thorin remembered being speechless and stunned as the other man gave him a hug before worrying his brow as he took in Thorin's tears.

'Are you alright?' he had asked.

Thorin had choked on his words, not really knowing what to say. 'Why are you here?' he had asked eventually.

Bilbo smiled. 'I came to see if you were okay.'

Thorin nodded. 'I am fine.'

'I also came to... tell you... I have feelings for you,' Bilbo had said, his face a beet red shade.

* * *

Thorin shifted in bed, Bilbo's bed in Bilbo's home, and faced the man next to him. He smiled as he lifted his scarred hand to stroke Bilbo's sleeping face. Thorin felt something odd pass through him. He retracted his hand in case anything happened to him. The feeling passed again and Thorin glanced down at his hand; the once scarred flesh was slowly turning the beautiful shade it had been before the curse. Thorin abruptly sat up as he watched the skin on his other hand change as well. Thorin smiled; maybe there was an end to this curse after all.

"Thorin?" Bilbo croaked, having been woken up by Thorin's movements. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, my love," Thorin answered, lying back down. "Nothing at all." He wrapped his strong arm around Bilbo's waist and pulled the man flush against his chest, not wanting to let go of him. "Go back to sleep." He kissed Bilbo's curls as the man closed his eyes. "I love you."

Bilbo giggled softly. "I love you too," he replied, placing a kiss beneath Thorin's beard before falling asleep in the arms of his lover.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't you love EPIC endings?! I do... Here's the final chapter. Enjoy it!**

* * *

"Bilbo?" Thorin asked, rolling over onto his side to face his lover as the bright sun filtered through the half-opened curtains, staining the walls with fresh sunlight. "Can I ask you something?"

Bilbo set down the book he was reading and looked at Thorin. "Yes, what is it?"

"Do you..." Thorin licked his dry and unsure lips. "Do you really want to... _be_ with me?"

Bilbo frowned and propped himself onto his elbow. "What are you talking about?" he asked, concern filling his eyes for the not-so-rugged man before him. He knew the curse was slowly lifting and Thorin's physical appearance was changing as well, but he hadn't thought about Thorin and his feelings about being wanted; Bilbo, unfortunately, assumed Thorin had chosen him and not fate...

"Are you willing to be tied to... to someone who is this _beast_," Thorin hissed, spitting the last word out as if it were poison. He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling awaiting Bilbo's remarks.

"I am tied to you already," Bilbo answered, scooting closer to the other and resting his head against the broad, scarred chest that slowly raised and fall with Thorin's steady breathing; a comforting feeling. "Thorin, I know this curse can be broken. I just know it."

"And if it does not?" Thorin asked in a flat and unfeeling voice.

"Then," Bilbo began as he reached over and turned Thorin's head until the two made eye contact. "Then, I could not think of being with anyone else who isn't half as brilliant as you."

Thorin's eyes lit up for a brief minute before clouding over again. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. "You are not lying to me?"

"Of course I am not, Thorin," Bilbo replied, sitting up to properly cup Thorin's bearded face. "I can't imagine living a day without you."

"Neither can I," the other answered hoarsely, leaning forward to catch Bilbo's lips for a kiss. "I love you."

Bilbo giggled with happiness. "I love you too," he said, returning to his place beside Thorin.

* * *

Bilbo awoke to the sound of heavy panting. He glanced at the other side of the bed to find it empty; Thorin was gone. He looked around the room to find the source of the sound and only saw Fili and Kili sitting by a lit candle in the dark room. "What's going on?" Bilbo asked, getting out of bed and padding over to the two young men. "Fili? Kili?"

Kili shook his head and drank from the tea cup in his hand; Fili did the same with the bottle of ale.

"Where is Thorin?" Bilbo urged, glancing around the room as he heard the noise again. "Where is he?"

"He... he went out..." Kili said. "Said not to worry... He'll be back."

"Full moon's out tonight," Fili added quietly, taking another swig of his drink. "He said he wasn't sure what would happen to him."

Bilbo frowned and grabbed a pair of pants. "What is that noise?"

Fili and Kili exchanged shrugs. "What noise?" Fili asked, creasing his brow at Bilbo's hurried movements to get fully dressed in the dark room.

"That... that panting?" Bilbo finished, pulling over a sweater before lacing his shoes. "Don't you hear it?"

Kili put his cup down and strained his ear to listen closely to the night sounds. Nothing at first... but after a short while, he nodded his head as he heard deep and heavy panting. "I hear it," he said solemnly. "Do you think it's Thorin?"

"We watched him leave, Kili."

"I know," the brother retorted. "But couldn't his... his _thing..._ have come back? After all, he can't control it..."

Bilbo huffed and shook his head. "He told me that he was beginning to control it."

Fili shook his head. "We did research at the town's library; one who is this beast has no control over its actions during the course of the transformation." He sighed when Bilbo lowered his head in defeat. "Neither can he remember what he did."

Bilbo angrily grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. "Are you suggesting he _lied_ to me?"

Fili and Kili both sputtered before shaking their heads. "No, Bilbo. We are not suggesting he lied to you."

"He loves you; maybe this is his way of protecting you." Kili glanced at Fili who shrugged.

"Ugh!" Bilbo exasperatedly exclaimed. "I am going to see what is making that sound because by all means, it is freaking me out." He strode for the door with Fili and Kili behind him, each carrying a long shot gun. "Thanks," he said quietly, briefly glancing at the others before making his way to the front door. Sighing to calm his shaky and uneven nerves, Bilbo reached for the handle and was blown backwards as the door slammed open.

He heard Kili fire his gun and Fili shout for Bilbo to hide. Blindly and dizzily, Bilbo scrambled for a small hiding spot by the wall, away from the door's view. He was breathing hard as the _thing_ that knocked him down, circled and attacked Fili. The poor young man shouted in pain as he blocked his face with the gun as the beast's powerful jaws bit down on the metal, snapping it in half. Bilbo gasped as Kili jabbed the werewolf's back with the barrel of his shot gun. He turned his face just as the werewolf howled in pain and took one powerful swing at Kili. He cringed as Kili cried out. Bilbo hesitantly glanced up and saw two yellow eyes directed at him. A scream formed in his throat but was never released as the beast charged for him.

* * *

Thorin left Bilbo's house around dusk; he hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye to Bilbo because the young man had been sleeping, and Thorin didn't really want to wake him. He had left the house with Fili and Kili on his tail, making sure he went where he said he was going to. Unlike most times, Thorin wasn't going to the iron cell in Old Beorn's shop; instead, he headed for the thick forest just on the outskirts of the town. "I do not know what will happen," he said to the brothers who watched him step over the boundaries of the town. "I cannot promise anything. It has been a while since I have changed out here."

Fili nodded. "We understand."

"We'll protect Bilbo," Kili added, giving Thorin a soft smile. "With our lives."

Thorin nodded and inclined his head gently. "Thank you," he replied. "Protect yourselves as well."

"We will," Fili assured the older man. "We promise."

"Thank you," Thorin repeated, sighing as he faced the onlooking forest. "I will be fine; do not worry about me. I... I will return... when I can." He glanced at Fili and Kili one last time before he began his trek for the center of the forest, hoping to make it there before the moon rises.

* * *

Like so many weeks ago, he stood in the center of the forest before tilting his head up to gaze at the growing moon. "I am not ready," he sighed, looking down at his scarred hands as the skin began to stretch and tighten as he transformed. "I cannot do this anymore," he gritted, letting out a shout as his body adjusted to take the shape of the werewolf. The transformation passed by fairly quickly, unlike what he had remembered in his past years of going through this hell so many times, and he was able to recover from the pain faster than he had before. Shrugging off the thought of the curse lifting, Thorin (now the beast) walked around the forest as if in search of something valuable. He glanced down at his clawed paws before looking up at the glowing and luminous moon over the tall trees of the thick forest.

A howl in the distance caught his attention. He sharply turned his head towards the sound and squinted to see a large beast charge for the town below. Howling himself, the beast stopped in its tracks and faced Thorin; it curled its lips upward, revealing pink gums and glistening white teeth. It approached Thorin who had slightly backed off though his shoulders were still hunched in defense. The beast raised a powerful arm when a gunshot was fired in the distance; a mob of townspeople with sticks of fire and long shotguns marched towards the forest, searching for their target.

Thorin blinked, then felt his stomach sink; because of Bilbo, the curse was lifting and he could have slight control over the werewolf which allowed him to rationally think. And because he rationally thought, he glanced at the beast near him and put the puzzle pieces together; that thing had been raiding the town each full moon night while Thorin was cooped up in the iron cell. Innocent bloodshed of many townspeople was being spilt every month; Bilbo could have been killed as well...

Anger coursed through Thorin as he then charged after the howling beast who had ran towards the town mere seconds before.

* * *

Bilbo saw his life flash before his eyes as the thing with yellow eyes leaped for him; he closed his eyes in fear of being ripped apart. A sharp growl and terrible commotion caused him to open his eyes. He gasped. A larger werewolf had the other by the neck and was in the process of snapping its jaws shut when the other werewolf reared and knocked the larger one back. Bilbo finally let out the scream that he had been holding in when the beast with yellow eyes grabbed his ankle and began to drag him. Kili and Fili used their guns to distract the werewolf that eventually let Bilbo's ankle free in a mop of crimson blood. Bilbo panted and reached for something he could use to pull himself up. He glanced up and widened his eyes as the larger beast approached him, though its eyes were very solemn; Thorin. Bilbo smiled through the throbbing pain in his ankle and nodded at Thorin.

Bilbo tried to make himself small as Thorin roared and attacked the werewolf who was lashing at Kili. He couldn't bear watching blood splatter onto the floor; he shut his eyes and tried not to listen to the awful sounds of claws, jaws, and growls. _Thorin is here. Thorin is protecting you_, were the thoughts Bilbo kept repeating in his mind as the noises got closer. He let out a surprised yelp as two pairs of hands grasped his arms and hauled him upright. "Fili! Kili!" he breathed, leaning on both to support himself on his good ankle. "What...?"

"No time to talk," Fili said quickly. "We have to get you out of here. Now."

Bilbo nodded and limped with the brothers to a spare room where he was hidden from view. After Fili and Kili placed extra furniture in front of his spot inside a closet, they left the room to guard the door in case any beast were to enter. Bilbo sighed and closed his eyes, knowing Thorin was somewhere out there protecting him...

* * *

"Bilbo?" a voice called. "Bilbo?"

He stirred and opened his eyes to see that one face he could never, ever forget. "Thorin?"

A smile broke across Thorin's bloody face. "Bilbo," he breathed, lifting the smaller man into his arms and carrying him from the closet and into their bedroom. "I am so relieved that you are safe."

Bilbo laughed a little as he glanced at his ankle, which had thankfully stopped bleeding. He shifted his attention to Thorin who was in the middle of rubbing the blood from his face. "Why don't you go take a bath?" he suggested when Thorin had found an open cut. "It'll be faster than just scrubbing your skin."

Thorin shot him a look but smiled. "Fine," he relented. "I will go."

"Don't do that," Bilbo laughed, playfully swatting Thorin's arm from his own place on the bed. "Just... wait..."

The other turned to Bilbo and knelt beside the bed, taking the small man's hands in his own. "You are safe; that thing is gone. I vow to _never_ let anyone harm you again; I _promise_."

Bilbo nodded and reached forward to embrace Thorin. "I love you, Thorin."

"I love you as well, Bilbo Baggins," Thorin whispered softly, the sincerity in his voice making Bilbo blush. "For all of time. For as long as I live..."

* * *

**:') The End.  
**


End file.
